


The Cursed Forest

by ghoulshuu



Series: 2015 Giveaway [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: AU, Angst probably, Fluff, M/M, the process of falling in love, warning for dog attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 15:49:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4841285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghoulshuu/pseuds/ghoulshuu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The forest was cursed. Few traveled within. Those who did would escape telling stories of horrible beasts or mysterious lights that seemed to lead off cliffs. Others were found at the forest’s edge, with no recollection of what occurred.<br/>Some would never return.<br/>Through desperate circumstances, Hide ventured into the forest to survive and was in turn saved by an inhuman man with a curious story and a kind smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Protection

**Author's Note:**

> For [InvestigatorSuzuya](http://investigatorsuzuya.tumblr.com).

The forest was nestled between the edges of the mountains and a wide, but relatively calm river heading out to sea. The foliage was thick, blanketing the forest floor in darkness. The forest was lively, with many birds chirping and other animals making it their home as well.

But, it was not just animals that lived there. No, there were many other creatures. Massive, bear-like creatures with enormous jaws and an even more terrifyingly impressive set of teeth. They were relatively peaceful beasts, despite their appearance, and much preferred to laze around all day in the cool water of the forest’s central lake.

There were the fae, who glowed with impish light of various colours. They flew around the forest with no obvious pattern, occasionally causing trouble with their shenanigans, especially when it came to interacting with humans.

There were also the protectors of the forest, who compared to the fearsome beasts and mischievous fae, seemed rather unthreatening. They and the forest were bound together. They would protect it and in turn, the magical forest would answer to their calls.

Beyond the fae, the beasts, there were other dangerous aspects of the forest, making it treacherous to anyone who dared step foot in it.

The poisonous fog in the east, which could melt one’s lungs after only one inhale, and would make one’s skin bubble and burst if it came in contact. Even the current protector was not immune, suffering severe burns to his back while saving a young beast that wandered too far away from its family.

While the poisonous fog pertained unmoving to one area of the forest, various poisonous flowers littered the forest floor, their sweet scent alluring any human who wandered in to take a bite. Some of the flowers’ components could be used in medicines and salves, which proved useful over countless years.

The trees themselves were strange, the bark a dull colour, but supplying a thick and rich sap which held healing properties.

The forest became known to many humans throughout history, leaving most to abandon the location out of fear and superstition. Some wandered inside, but were swiftly dealt with and usually sent running in the opposite direction.

The lack of humans left the forest peacefully quiet. The protectors generally spent more time running after beast cubs or a fae that spent far too long messing with them, rather than fighting.

And then _they_ came. A whole settlement looking to use the prime farmland and the fresh water from the river. They came and they _stayed._

When they came to the forest looking for supplies, the current protector treated them as he usually did with humans. Before they ate anything, wandered anywhere poisonous, or got caught in some fairy trap, the beasts would chase them out, the cubs often enjoying baring their teeth, the act of chase more a game than anything else.

Then there were far more dangerous humans. The ones who carried swords or spears and mean looks on their faces. The protector would deal with those, preparing a strong sedative to dose them with. After many generations of practice and careful observation, the protectors found a compound which caused temporary short-term memory loss, which suited the current protector just fine. The humans would wake up at the edge of the forest, with no memory of even entering it.

So, they would go back home, stripped of their weapons and their supplies. (He really did like when some of them brought blankets to protect them from the cold at night – he always took those.) Even rarer, he would occasionally stumble across a book, which engrossed him so much, he would almost forget to carry the poor human to the forest’s edge.

…

The town was Hide’s home for his whole life. He was born there, his mother passing that day, and his father, many years later when a wave of sickness struck the inhabitants. As a teenager, he grew up on the streets, scrounging up what he could to survive. Whether it was the food thrown out after dinner from a wealthy family, or the coins in a pedestrian’s pocket, he made due.

Through those difficult years, Hide’s less than respectable skills grew and life became easier. Even if he was constantly dodging law enforcement just to survive.

As Hide’s confidence grew, his jobs became riskier.

So, there he was, crouched inside the bedroom of one of town’s most wealthy families, jewels in his pocket and hand on the window sill as he prepared to jump out to the nearby tree.

That was when the bedroom door opened behind him and Hide realized he fucked up. The family was downstairs eating their supper, but _someone_ came up and Hide was noticed. He didn’t stick around to see who it was.

Hide leapt out the window, his hands protected by his leather gloves and his face hidden from his hood and half-mask. He cautiously climbed the rest of the way down and took off running. It was nearly winter and the cold bit his cheeks as he sprinted, sticking to shadows. The sun had already set, but he still had to avoid the dim candle light coming from windows.

As he ducked in an alley, he could hear shouts ring out. Orders.

Ah, fuck. He really messed up.

He had run-ins with the law before, but never had they actually caught him red-handed.

Hide knew what would happen if he was caught, and he was in no mood to get his hand lopped off. Hell, for as much as he took, it could be his head.

He could deal with it. His hood was still up and all he had to do was get to safety and wait out the night, hitch a ride to the next town over and pawn the jewels there, and lay low for a bit until things calmed down, right?

Maybe if it was only humans coming after him, but over the shouts, he could hear panting, impatient trotting feet and the occasional quiet bark. They brought the hounds out, which meant Hide was in real trouble.

He couldn’t hide, they would follow his scent. They could outrun him even on his best days. He had to lose them somehow, and in such a small town, it was impossible. They would find him, even if he spent a while leaping from roof to roof (which wasn’t a good idea either, given the rotting state some of them were in).

That left him an option, which was rather risky, but was most likely to work.

He could head toward the forest’s river, and wade through the water there, traveling upstream until he was a good distance away from the town. He could then travel by foot to the next one, which could take a number of days, but given Hide’s experience doing it a few times, it wouldn’t kill him.

It was a major pain in the ass, though. No journey was without danger and he would have to keep an eye on his back at all times.

Making way through dark alleys he moved as quickly as he could, knowing it could be any second the law caught up with him. He slipped through familiar holes in fences and leaped over a few others, hearing some farm animals complain as he disturbed them.

Muttering a ‘sorry’, Hide set his eyes on the expanse of field between him and the river. It was quite a distance, and he would be easily spotted.

He took a few deep breaths, deciding the distance to his goal was about five-hundred metres. He couldn’t sprint all of it. Taking a quiet look around, he jogged out and hoped nobody would see him while watching the forest light up for the night.

He was making good time and he was nearing the river. He only had to keep going for a while longer. At about two-thirds of the way to the river, he heard a shout and saw a dark spot shoot out from in between the houses.

“ _Damn_ it.” Hide picked up the pace to a full-out run, nearly tripping over a small hole in the ground.

He didn’t look behind him, fearing the dog would be snapping at his heels and he would be taken down. But, he made it to the river without incident and splashed through the water until it was too deep and he had to swim.

The water was icy given the cold season and he shuddered as he forced his muscles to move the way he wanted them to, trying to keep his breathing even. The last thing he wanted to do was swim in the deep water. He could have easily dealt with getting his shoes a little wet from walking in it for a few miles, but the minute he would spend in the water would leave him with wet clothes, and therefore hypothermia if the temperature dropped low enough during the night.

As Hide dragged himself up on the opposite bank, he saw with horror that the dog followed him into the river and was paddling after him.

He couldn’t escape. There was no way he could make it down the river. His only other option was –

The Cursed Forest.

It was terrifying, but hell, if it could at least give him a chance of escaping? He would take it.

Hide pushed to his shaky feet and stumbled past the trees and various vegetation and into the dark, the moonlight no longer able to guide his path.

That was when he felt a severe pain in his left leg and he fell to the ground. He felt a pull on his leg and he instinctively fought back, visions of torn flesh and gouging wounds popping to the forefront of his mind.

Then his leg was released and he heard a growl. Hide protectively drew his leg in and tried to crawl away while protecting his throat, fearing that would be where the hound bit next. But, nothing came.

Hearing yipping, Hide glanced to see the dog running away with its tail between its legs.

Something much larger stepped in front of Hide.

He wasn’t sure if it was the pain – or the fear, but his vision faded to black as he collapsed completely against the ground.

…

Kaneki crouched by the fallen man and quickly checked his pulse. Leaning down and turning his ear to the blonde’s mouth, he could not only hear his breathing, but also feel it tickle his hair.

He went on to inspect the man’s injuries, which expect for a few cuts and bruises, pertained to his leg. Kaneki cut the man’s pant leg to find he was bleeding, but it would be in no way fatal as long as Kaneki attended to it fairly soon. He had more than enough time to make the travel home and use his kit there.

What was most dangerous was the man’s soaked clothes at night temperatures. Kaneki stripped him of his shirt and pants, and removed his own cloak, draping it over him before lifting his limp body.

“Rina.” The beast thundered over and nuzzled Kaneki’s shoulder playfully. Kaneki grinned and bumped his head against her much larger one. “Take us home.”

He laid the man on Rina’s back, jumping up after him a few seconds later. Kaneki positioned him the best he could, but he never rode with someone else before.

“That’s as good as it’s going to get.” Kaneki petted Rina’s fur. “Let’s get going.”

Kaneki never dealt with a situation like that before. He never came across an injured he was capable of saving. Usually he would be able to chase humans out before they ate something poisonous, inhaled the toxic pollen of the east forest, or before they curiously followed the fairy lights and wandered off a cliff.

Kaneki considered dosing him with his sedative, but he never tested it over a prolonged period of time, and the man he was carrying to his home wouldn’t be recovered in a few hours. Hell, it would take weeks at best, and days before he could walk on his own. There was no way he could safely keep the man unconscious for so long.

It seemed he was going to have some company.

Kaneki was nervous. He hadn’t talked to a human ever, the forest creatures being the only friends he had.


	2. Within the Forest

When Hide awoke, he was disoriented and confused. His whole body ached all the way down to his bones, his left leg being the worst. He groaned and tried to roll up, remembering the chase and dog. He wondered why he was laid in a rather comfortable bed, covered in warm blankets and a wooden ceiling arching above him. He could hear the crackle of a fire to his right and the smell of something tasty.

Turning his attention to the fire, he saw someone sitting in front of it, mixing something in a pot. The man had his back turned towards him, relaxed. He had white hair – which was odd – but, it assured Hide he was someone he never meet before, and Hide knew nearly everyone in town – well, he didn’t know them so much as he observed them.

He also wasn’t bound to his bed, which was a good sign, even though he couldn’t exactly move too far with his leg feeling the way it was. Still, the law enforcers would have bound him.

Hide opened his mouth to ask where he was, but the mysterious man spoke first.

“Here.” He ladled some of what Hide guessed was stew into a bowl. “Can you eat?”

“Uh.” Hide pushed himself the rest of the way up, wincing as the movement caused his leg to drag across the bed. “I think so.”

“Oh – uh, also.” The man handed him a cup filled with a dark liquid. “You might want to drink that before you eat. It doesn’t taste very good.”

“What is it?” Hide took the cup and sloshed the liquid around.

“To prevent infection. It also has a few other things that will help with the pain.” The man kept the stew in his hands, and Hide knew he wouldn’t be getting it until he drank whatever was in the cup.

Hide frowned. “Well, here it goes.”

‘It doesn’t taste very good’ didn’t begin to describe the horrendous mixture. Hide fought back his gags until there was nothing left, then turned to cough, wiping tears from his eyes.

“That was awful.” Hide muttered, rubbing his mouth with disgust. He could _still_ taste it, remnants clinging to the back of his throat.

The man gave him the stew, which Hide took gratefully. “I warned you.”

Hide didn’t answer, shoveling the food into his mouth. Hide had to admit, despite the last concoction Hide was given, the stew was delicious, and Hide even recognized the meat. “Rabbit?”

“You were talking about them in your sleep.” The man said, smiling awkwardly.

Hide noticed the man seemed to be keeping his distance and was almost wary of him. He seemed to be watching every one of Hide’s moves, accessing him. And, through the dim light, Hide truly examined the man for the first time.

He looked relatively normal, a little shorter than Hide. He had muscles; Hide could see some clearly defined even while he wore clothes. Then, there were the oddities. At first, Hide thought the man had very prominent veins, but on closer inspection, the lines looked almost like tattoos. He could see them running up the man’s neck to his jaw, and also some on his hands. There were some running down from his left eye, the eye itself covered with a leather patch.

The man took Hide’s bowl when he was done, and Hide began to feel the effects of the drink. The pain faded away, leaving just a faint ache.

“Thank you.” Hide said, shooting the man a friendly grin.

The man seemed startled, blinking a few times before nodding numbly and almost stumbled when he went to stand. He awkwardly clambered around as he cleaned up after Hide’s meal, checking Hide over his shoulder every few seconds timidly.

“Uh – also for saving me. Thank you for that too.” The man just gave him another nod. “My name is Hide, by the way.”

“Hide,” the man repeated, and then fell silent, continuing his task.

Hide frowned, staring at the man’s back. “What’s yours?”

“Mine?” The man pointed to himself, almost as though he was confused. “…Kaneki?”

“Yeah, nice to meet you, Kaneki!” Hide craned his necked to the left, trying to see out the window above the bed, but it was too high for him. “So, where exactly am I?”

There was a long silence and Hide turned back to Kaneki, who was practically frozen. That alone made Hide nervous.

But, finally, Kaneki put down what he was holding and pivoted to face Hide with a long sigh. “You’re in the forest.”

“The forest?” Hide laughed nervously. “Man, Kaneki, that’s not very descriptive. Which forest am I in?”

Hide heard a finger crack, the sound making his smile falter. “You know which one.”

Hide pursed his lips. He thought Kaneki was lying, but there was no signs he was. _But he had to be._ “People can’t live in this forest.”

“No, humans can’t.” Kaneki affirmed. When Hide opened his mouth, Kaneki held up a hand. “Do you really want to ask more questions?”

“ _Yes._ ” Hide stated, and Kaneki’s face hardened.

“And what if I don’t want to answer them?” _Crack._ Another knuckle. Was it a nervous habit of his?

Agitated, Hide pushed himself up further, flinging the covers off his body, and throwing his legs over the side as he prepared to stand. When he put just the smallest amount of weight on his left leg, he felt a sharp jolt run up it, causing him to gasp in pain, biting his lip.

Kaneki was there in an instant, eyebrows furrowed with worry as he placed his hands on Hide’s shoulders to gently ease him back down to the bed. But, Hide clasped his hands over his, stopping him. “Please.”

Kaneki wavered, and was about to say something when he suddenly snapped back, an unreadable expression darting across his face. “Look,” he said, rushed. “You’re safe here, so don’t worry. Rest for now, I’ll be back later.”

With that, Kaneki ran out like he was being chased by death. Hide waited for a few minutes until he was sure he was gone, then stood on his right foot. He was wearing a thick, long shirt that fell down to almost his knees. He pushed the sleeves up to his forearms so he could better move his hands. Looking out the window, all he could see was darkness. But then, there was a burst of colour that made him almost jump back.

After his initial reaction, he looked closer at the ball of light. Incredibly enough, there was what looked to be a person… who could fit in the palm of Hide’s hand. They waved at him, small purple wings fluttering, and then they took off.

“What the fuck.”

A few minutes later, the person was back again, waving. Were they beckoning him? Trying to get him to follow?

…

Why couldn’t the human have invaded the forest a few hours ago? Why did it have to be then, right at that moment? Kaneki clenched his teeth, sliding his patch over to his other eye.

He reached his arm up to the sky and vines effortlessly wrapped around it, pulling him up to the top of the golden tree.

“Now, where exactly are you?” His glanced back and forth until he isolated the man’s presence and locked in on it. He could almost feel the man’s steps on the forest floor, and using his eye, he could see him. He was dressed heavily, wearing some type of armor and carrying a sword at the ready.

That was a problem.

Kaneki groaned and dropped, catching himself on a lower branch. It was solid and held his weight and then some. He knew the trees well, the forest well. It was almost too easy to leap from tree to tree, completely confident of the branches under his feet and the vines that would help him close the distance if it was too far to jump.

He found himself crouching in a tree above the man, who was completely oblivious to the threat lurking above him. Kaneki grabbed his blowgun off his back, and selected one of his darts. The man was larger, and therefore would need a heavier dose to drop him.

Kaneki lined up his target, taking a deep breath.

The dart went sailing, only to connect with steel and fly off into the forest somewhere, startling a flock of birds. The next second, Kaneki felt a sharp pain in his side as a dagger sailed in his direction, impaling the tree behind Kaneki.

As blood oozed from Kaneki’s side, his eyes narrowed.

He leapt down from the tree, since his location was already given away and brandished his sword. Kaneki and the man stared at each other for a few seconds.

Kaneki’s lips twitched upwards.

He never used his sword.

And he didn’t have to use it then as well.

By simply staying still and in a stance, the man fell into Kaneki’s trap. It was too late when he noticed the vines curling around his ankles and writhing behind him. In an instant his limbs were immobilized and Kaneki was carefully readying another dart.

“What a pain in the ass.” Kaneki didn’t like thinking about carrying the man with the wound he sustained. Normally, he would have wanted to go straight home, but that made him nervous as well.

…

Hide exiting the home, staring at it in wonder. The home was built inside a tree, its base thick and jutting out to make what looked like an irregularly shaped bubble. Branches and vines twisted down and around, adding to its shape and size. Mosses and flowers grew all over it with an array of colour.

Hide shook his head in amazement and turned to search for the small, winged person.

Hide was only a few steps from the home when he was suddenly whacked down and the air was knocked out of his lungs. He heard a deep growl and almost panicked, but all he received was a nuzzle to the chest. Then there was something like a bark – maybe a chuff?

Hide glanced up to see something as big as he was. He almost thought it was a bear, but its limbs were far too lanky.

It darted away, moving quickly, only to come back and pounce on the ground next to Hide. It did that a number of times, growling and barking until it trotted back one last time, a whine in its throat.

Hide frowned and then a large tongue was licking his face, leaving it slimy. It pulled away after a few moments, barking again.

“Gross.” Hide commented, wiping slobber off his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He then cautiously ran his hand down the soft fur of the animal’s back.

It seemed to appreciate that, giving a yip and pressing into Hide’s hand more while moving to nose at his other. He lifted that hand and used it to scratch behind the animal’s ear. It cocked its head to the side, panting as Hide petted it.

Hide was grinning until the animal decided to lay down, planting its front legs and head on his chest, pinning him to the ground with its weight. Hide snorted, wriggling a little until he could properly breathe.

When he stopped petting it, the animal started licking his face again, leaving long lines across his cheeks and hairline. The animal huffed and Hide could see it close its massive eyes, which were a startling red. It twitched every once in a while, a low rumbling in its chest when it breathed out.

Hide realized it fell asleep on him. Which was… somewhat worrying. He was out in the forest at night, with a strange massive animal holding him to the forest floor. He had no idea when Kaneki was coming back.

He hoped nothing would attack him.

He heard of sightings of beasts in the forest. Massive, terrifying creatures that foamed at the mouth and attacked anyone who entered. They had large heads, large teeth, appearing almost… like… a bear.

Hide shifted, glancing at the animal sleeping on him.

No way.

It wasn’t big enough to be one. It was only the size of Hide, like a large dog… unless…

It was a cub.

_Fuck._

Hide did not want to be around when its parent came back. Nuh-uh. Not a good idea at all. Hide tried to inch his way out from under the cub, but it no avail. When he managed to move a few inches, it shifted, moving back over him.

Then, Hide heard heavy footfalls.

Heading right for him.


	3. Complacency

An extremely large, dark shape burst out of the woods, only making Hide struggle more under the cub. It roused – finally – and jumped up, which would have been to Hide’s relief if the massive shape wasn’t already upon him. Hide could feel its breath on his face and he cringed back.

“What are you doing?”

The question caught Hide by surprise as Kaneki jumped down, crouching beside him. He rested his elbows on his knees, rocking back and raising his eyebrows. The large animal rumbled and bumped Kaneki’s shoulder with its mass. It would have sent a normal person stumbling onto their ass, but Kaneki seemed used to it and simply adjusted his footing, pressing back.

“Thank you for the ride, Rina.” He patted her side. “I’ll get you something extra special in our next hunt.”

Rina made a noise in her throat and the cub darted up to her, nuzzling her haunch. They disappeared into the forest together.

Kaneki turned back to Hide. “Why did you leave?”

“Uh.” Hide muttered, frowning. “Dude. I almost die. I wake up in a weird house with some guy I don’t know, who tells me I’m in _the Cursed Forest_. Right. So, I see some tiny person in the window. They beckon me to follow and…”

Okay, so maybe it did sound kind of ridiculous. He went wandering around in the forest people were known not to return from. What the hell was wrong with him?

Kaneki sighed. “Let’s get you back inside.” He scooped Hide up, stumbling slightly and grimacing as walked forward.

Hide pursed his lips, closely examining Kaneki’s face. There wasn’t exactly anyway he could hide that, so Kaneki stared forward and away, clenching his jaw as red dusted his cheeks.

Once inside, Kaneki settled Hide back down into the bed. When he walked away, that was when Hide noticed his clothes stained dark on the one side.

“You’re injured.” Hide stated, brows furrowing in concern.

Kaneki simply shrugged, then left, coming back a few seconds later with a dark wooden box. When he pulled his shirt up, Hide could see the extent of the wound. It wasn’t so much as deep as it was long, cutting across his whole side. Kaneki treated the wound with some strange looking mixtures and the stitched it closed. Hide winced every time Kaneki punctured his skin.

“What happened?”

Kaneki froze mid-stitch, then stared at Hide guardedly. He sighed and bit his lip. “I protected the forest. That’s what I do.”

“And protecting the forest gets you gashes in the side?” Hide raised his eyebrows.

Kaneki scoffed. “When people have swords? Yes.”

“Oh.” Kaneki’s body was covered in scars. From little cuts and large, jagged gashes, to the massive burn covering most of his back. Hide shuddered. No wonder Kaneki was so nonchalant about patching himself up. The small cut on his side was not nearly as bad as some of the things he suffered.

“…I hope the beasts didn’t scare you. They are very kind creatures.” Kaneki said worriedly, bandaging his side. “Rina was the one who saved your life, you know.”

Hide remembered the dog, running away. “They only scared me a little,” Hide admitted, smiling. “The cub was very cute, but also very heavy.” Hide rubbed his chest, thinking about its suffocating weight.

Kaneki laughed quietly. “They are very affectionate. I think he took a liking to you…”

And there was that look again. Kaneki was staring at him, mouth slightly pursed as he deliberated whether or not to ask a question, whether he wanted to hear Hide’s answer.

“Do you like them? The beasts?” His face was all scrunched up. Hide wanted to pinch his cheeks, but he didn’t know how he would take that.

“Well,” Hide said. “Despite having chompers as big as my head, they didn’t try to eat it, so they’re good in my books.”

Kaneki smiled. “In that case, I’ll have something to show you. But –“ Kaneki held up his hands and gave Hide a glare as he perked up. “In a few days. You need to rest.”

Hide whined. “You meanie… fine.” He was exhausted anyway, his eyelids beginning to flutter.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaneki sink to the ground by the fireplace and lean up against the wall. He wrapped himself in a thick cloak.

Even under the numerous blankets, Hide was a little cold, the air nipping at his nose and ears. And, despite Kaneki’s usual composure, he could see him begin to shake after a few minutes.

Hide frowned and met Kaneki’s eyes. He lifted up the edge of the blanket. “Hurry up.”

“Hide –“

Hide made a loud noise in his throat. “It’s your bed anyway.” Or so he assumed. “You’re letting all the heat out.” His teeth started chattering at the chilly air hitting his body.

Kaneki groaned and crawled in beside him, keeping the most distance between them as he could. Hide closed his eyes, only to feel a gaze burning into his head. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, Kaneki was staring right at him.

“Turn around. I can’t fall asleep with you staring at me like that. It’s creepy.” Hide mumbled, sticking out his hands to push on Kaneki’s shoulders.

Kaneki simply rolled them off. “Oh? And what if you attack me?”

Hide scoffed. “As if. What am I going to do? Poke you and try to hop away?”

Kaneki turned over onto his other side hesitantly, then relaxed. It was only then Hide realized he was laying on his injured side before and it must have been pretty painful. It was probably one of reasons he didn’t put up too much of a fight.

“You too.” He muttered, and prompted Hide to turn his back as well.

Hide tried to fall asleep, his back inches from Kaneki’s, with the sounds of the beasts playing outside in the night.

…

Hide was very warm when he awoke. At first, he attributed it to the risen sun, but when he opened his eyes, he found there was no light filtering through the window above him. The very next thing he noticed was he felt heavy, which he attributed to the medicines Kaneki gave him. But no, his leg was aching – he guessed that was what woke him – and he remembered he didn’t take anything other than what Kaneki gave him earlier. Instead, he found Kaneki laying on his chest, sleeping peacefully and drooling on him.

“Hey.” Hide nudged him, but he only grunted and shifted, moving more onto Hide’s chest so that he was almost completely laying on him.

Hide groaned and jabbed him a few times in the cheek. “I can’t hop away with you pinning me to the bed.”

After a few more pokes, Kaneki stirred, scrunching his eyes shut as he slowly sat up. He rubbed the sleep out of them, yawning.

_Holy shit._ “You’re so cute.”

“Hmm?” Kaneki glanced up, his hair going in every direction.

“Uh.” Hide coughed. Oh, yeah. Good job Hide. Great way to make things even more awkward.

Kaneki yawned again, shaking his head. “It’s too early, go back to sleep.”

“Hey! Wait.” Hide jostled him again as he went back down, practically cuddling Hide’s side. Hide tried not to flush and failed horribly.

Kaneki finally seemed to rouse himself, blinking quickly and looking around. As he turned, he met Hide face to face and yelped, falling back and off the bed. He hit the ground with a loud _thwack!_ and left Hide to pull himself to the edge, laughing while checking to see if he was okay.

Kaneki glared up at him, rubbing his head. Hide didn’t know if he was mistaken in the dark, but Kaneki’s face was a little red as well.

“What is it?” Kaneki asked curtly, dusting off his pants as he stood.

“Well,” Hide said with a smile. “I was trying to tell you my leg hurt, but then you tried to cuddle and almost suffocated me,”

“I almost wish I had.” Kaneki muttered, pouting. “Your leg hurts?”

Hide nodded and Kaneki shivered, moving to stoke the fire. Hide watched as he went through small baskets aligned on the nearby wall, going and picking out a few things. He tossed them into a mortar and pestle to grind.

When the mixture was presented to Hide again, he downed it as quickly as possible, wincing at the taste.

…

After a week, Hide decided to go without the mixture. His wounds were healing nicely, or so Kaneki said. Hide preferred not to look at them when Kaneki changed his bandages. Hide was always queasy when it came to injuries, and seeing one on someone else was bad enough.

Occasionally, when Hide was feeling particularly well, Kaneki would carry him outside during the day. The forest was beautiful; rich greens, yellows and reds filled it as the leaves fell. Kaneki’s home was on the edge of a clearing, facing an almost circular lake. The water was astoundingly clear, and beasts were splashing through the shallows, catching fish and razzing each other. Kaneki watched them fondly.

Every once in a while, Rina and her cub would approach them. Hide was surprised by their sheer size every time. Jun – the cub, as Kaneki named him – was always prodding Hide and trying to get him to play. Hide tried to play fetch, but only managed to throw the branch a few feet. Jun did not look impressed.

After a while, Jun left, coming back with a rabbit held between his teeth.

That made Kaneki laugh. “He just learned to hunt,” he said. “He knows you can’t, so he’s trying to take care of you.” Jun happily barked when Kaneki took the rabbit and ruffled his fur.

Hide followed suit, then groaned when Jun decided it was time to lay on him again. Hide flailed his arms and Kaneki laughed as Jun licked his face.

In his time in the forest, Hide also came to know a bit about Kaneki. He was generally quiet, but would usually speak when prompted. He was also inherently wary and shy, though he was gradually warming up to Hide. Hide received his smiles more often, and Kaneki began to let his guard down around him. `

Kaneki really liked to read. Often he would curl up with one of the worn books he kept, relaxing as he flipped through the pages. Other times he would sit with paper and ink, copying the words.

“Why do you do that?” Hide asked one evening. He was well enough to move around alright, but he still couldn’t put weight on his leg. He stood over Kaneki’s shoulder, watching as he wrote in neat lines under candlelight.

Kaneki didn’t look up. “This book won’t last long. It’s already falling apart. I need to make sure the knowledge isn’t lost.”

When Kaneki closed the book, Hide’s eye widened at the date on the cover. “Dude. How old are you?”

“I am… eighteen? No – nineteen years old.” He grinned up at Hide, then hurried to his bookshelf, pulling out a thin book. “I learned about how humans measure years a while ago.  One of them carried this into the forest.” Kaneki clung to it like a treasure.

“So, you stole it from them?”

“Took it.”

Hide shook his head. “Same thing.” He examined Kaneki sadly. “Who taught you to read? Write?” He wondered if Kaneki was once a part of the human world.

“Rize.” He said simply. Upon seeing Hide’s confusion, he continued. “Once of the fae. She likes to have someone to turn the pages for her.”

“Right. Of course.” Hide scanned the expanse of books. “Did you take all these from travelers?”

Kaneki hummed. “Some of the previous protectors copied them, like I am now. Like I will continue to do for my successor.” He paused. “Rize will teach them as well.”

Hide baulked. “ _How old is Rize?_ ”

“Centuries? I’m not really sure. I’ve asked, but fae don’t pay much attention to the time…”

“Right, yes, of course they don’t.” Hide closed his eyes and sighed.

Kaneki went back to calmly copying his novels, while Hide stared out into the forest, watching the trees to see the little flickers of lights that would pass by from time to time.

“I promised to show you something, didn’t I?”

Hide yelped, jumping and almost knocking Kaneki with his shoulder.

“Do you want to see them?”

Hide scratched the back of his head, smiling in embarrassment. “Who?”

“The fae.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, some stuff came up, so I'm a bit late. I have a midterm on Friday so wish me luck!


	4. Rough Weather Ahead

Kaneki had his hands covering Hide’s eyes. Behind him, Hide could feel the faint brush of Kaneki’s chest as he shifted. His heart was beating rapidly, though Hide wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or nervousness.

“Are you ready?” Kaneki’s voice held a tremor.

Hide smiled to reassure him. “Of course.”

Still, Kaneki hands didn’t leave his eyes – so it was nervousness then? Hide could hear the deep breaths he was taking. Careful not to startle him, Hide moved to cover Kaneki’s hands with his own, squeezing gently.

“Sorry.” A laugh. And then – his hands peeled away and let Hide’s drop to his side.

“Wow.” Hide’s jaw dropped. He really did not know what else to say.

The forest had looked somewhat normal before. It looked magical. There were bright lights – the fae – darting about the trees, chasing after each other, lounging on tree limbs and sweeping their fingertips across the lake’s surface when they swooped down. Hide could feel the energy, he could feel the life. It filled him with awe.

“They are beautiful,” Kaneki said, grasping Hide’s shoulders tightly. “But can also be deadly.”

Hide pursed his lips as Kaneki’s fingers tightened. “Care to elaborate?”

Kaneki sighed. “Living many centuries degrades the value they hold on life.”

“They are all that old?” Hide blinked, staring at the colours.

Kaneki’s voice was quieter when he spoke. “Some are. Others are only as old as you and I. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. They are curious, and mischievous by default, but usually mean no harm.”

“Usually.” Hide spun to face Kaneki. He tripped, not being able to use his one foot properly, but Kaneki caught him, as expected. “So they do hurt people then.”

“When they wander into the forest – yes.” Kaneki looked extremely tired. “But like I said, most harbour no ill intent. Just curiosity.”

“Ah, yes.” A voice cooed. “Like – hmmm… I wonder what a human would look like with their intestines tied around their neck. How do they look when they’re gushing blood from their chest and begging –“

“ _Rize!_ ” Kaneki said the name like a curse. “Cut it out.”

“Hmmm? Fine.” A small person with purple wings landed on Kaneki’s shoulder. “This is a cute one.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Oh. No worries.” Rize waved a hand in Kaneki’s direction for show. “I’m rooting for you anyway.”

Kaneki glared at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Rize grinned, displaying many sharp teeth. “I wonder. Why don’t you tell me?”

“Uh.” Hide squinted at her. “You were… the one from before.”

Kaneki’s expression darkened, but Rize just winked. She tugged on a lock of Kaneki’s hair and spoke into his ear. He seemed confused at first, but then his face turned bright red and he scrambled away. “Enough.”

Rize’s laugh was twinkling. “But I’m right – like always.” She twirled to face Hide. “I’m sure you’ll prove to be interesting, _Nagachika Hideyoshi_.” And with that, she was gone.

Hide stared at the empty space on Kaneki’s shoulder. “How did she know my full name?”

“She probably picked it up somewhere. Rize loves information. Don’t listen to her too much. You’ll only get a headache.” Kaneki groaned and rubbed his forehead.

“Noted.” Hide went back to watching the fae play. They seemed to be focused around a certain area, or rather, a certain growth.

There was tree on the other side of the lake. It was taller than the others. Before, there was nothing too special about it – except that it was a tad darker than the other trees. As the fae swirled around it, it was practically glowing, little bits of gold peeking out of the bark and floating up into the night sky, up towards the full moon.

It was not just the fae and the tree, but Kaneki as well. His expression was bright, the dark circles under his eyes looked more faded. He was gazing up at the moon with wide eyes, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Let’s sit down.” Hide touched Kaneki’s shoulder, breaking him out of his trance.

He nodded and coughed. “Yes.”

Hide smiled gently and Kaneki lowered him to the ground. Hide splayed out, throwing his arms wide as soon as Kaneki set him down. Kaneki chuckled and flopped down beside him, narrowly missing his one arm. He murmured an apology, still staring at the sky.

With Kaneki distracted, Hide examined his face. Was it cheesy to say he thought Kaneki was the most beautiful in the forest? More beautiful than the golden tree, more beautiful than the fae…?

Yeah, it was so cheesy – but true, none the less.

Hide stared at the dark lines crawling up Kaneki’s throat, and found himself tracing one before he knew what he was doing. To his surprise, there was a ridge, like there was something under Kaneki’s skin. It wasn’t hard, but rather soft and pliable. Hide realized the design reminded him of tree bark. He hummed thoughtfully and traced the lines gently.

“Hey, Kaneki.”

There was no response.

Hide huffed and sat up, giving into the urge to poke Kaneki’s cheek. “Wake up.”

“I am awake.” He kept gazing at the sky. “You can keep doing that. It felt nice.”

Hide poked his cheek and earned a glower. He grinned playfully.

“This.” Kaneki brushed his fingers down Hide’s neck. Hide flushed when he involuntarily leaned into the contact.

“Y-yeah.” Hide cleared his throat. “Right.” He went back to tracing his fingers idly up and down Kaneki’s neck, watching as he closed his eyes and sighed contently.

Hide gazed at the forest around him – it was like it was a completely different world. A world Kaneki showed him… it was Kaneki’s world. A world humans didn’t commonly see. Hide was happy. Not for the beauty, not for the chance to watch the fae dance in the air, nor for the chance to play with the peaceful beasts. Hide was happy because Kaneki trusted him enough to show him.

Hide closed his eyes as well. He felt a little cold, and snuggled closer to Kaneki out of habit. They _had_ been sleeping in the same bed for the past weeks anyway.

Hide didn’t remember the last time he had been so complacent. With the constant running, the constant stealing through his teenage years, he was not able to hunker down and stay with anyone for too long. He could not make any friends, for fear that they would betray him, turn him into the authorities. He did not have a home of any sort.

Kaneki home was the longest place he stayed in since his father’s death. It was odd, but without him knowing it, he started calling it his home as well. He loved it there. He loved playing with the beasts, and most of all, he loved spending time with Kaneki.

And it made him sad. Because… he was going to have to leave it all behind, was he not? As soon as his leg was healed he would go back to the human world, just like Kaneki said.

But what would Kaneki say if Hide wanted to stay? That… was an answer he was afraid of.

“Is there something wrong?” Kaneki’s fingers brushed through his hair. “Are you feeling ill?” Kaneki’s palm pressed against his forehead.

Hide shook his head. “No. It’s nothing.”

“Okay…” Kaneki stared at him skeptically, but Hide ducked his head before he could examine his face too closely.

“I’m just tired.” Which actually was not a lie.

Kaneki huffed. “Do you want to go back inside?”

“No, let’s stay out here for a bit longer?” Hide tucked his hands in his sleeves. He liked the smell of the night air and Kaneki didn’t want to leave anyway.

…

After a month and a half of being in the forest, Hide could finally walk without much assistance, though he tired fairly quickly. Strangely, instead of wandering off and spending more time to himself, he actually stuck around Kaneki more, though there was no way he could keep up when Kaneki went running with the beasts, either to hunt or just to play.

In little ways, Hide found himself more involved in Kaneki’s life. He would help cook meals and clean up, making a point to do as much as he could. Kaneki took care of him for quite a while after all, so Hide shooed him away when he could and told him to go bury his nose in a book.

Another part of Kaneki’s day consisted of going behind the house and training in an area Hide didn’t know existed previously. It was fairly clean, with many targets placed in every direction except the house. Kaneki spent three hours a day hitting the targets with various weapons or his fists. The way Kaneki spun around reminded Hide of the way the fae twirled around the golden tree. Kaneki was absolutely breath-taking in the way he moved with complete confidence, a slight flush covering his face from exertion. Hide finally knew where his muscles came from and _damn_ was it impressive.

Kaneki took short breaks, usually to check a new movement for reference in one of the books he took outside with him, or to drink some water. As he trained, he gradually stripped out of his clothes, making sure he was cool enough not to sweat too much. Damp clothing would be really cold when he stopped training.

So, when the last layer on his torso was peeled off, Hide discreetly glanced at Kaneki’s abs and back muscles, admiring their ridges and the way they moved when Kaneki twisted into different movements. But, Hide _swore_ he saw Kaneki purposely twisting a little far or flexing his muscles when he did not have to, so maybe Hide was not nearly as discrete as he thought. That was affirmed to him when he finally saw Kaneki’s face. He must have been trying to hide its redness, but his lips were turned up into a smile as he laughed quietly to himself.

Hide was beginning to feel a little hot, considering stripping down himself, but stopped when he felt the chill of the wind rip through the small clearing. Kaneki seemed unaffected, but he did glance up to stare at the sky, frowning when he saw the gathering clouds. Hide had been so caught up with watching Kaneki, he didn’t even notice how much darker it was getting.

“We should probably go inside. Before it storms.” Hide was a little sad to see Kaneki slip his shirt on, but he was right. The wind was picking up, and Hide could feel it even through all his layers, so he could imagine how cold Kaneki was, despite his composure.

When they were inside, Kaneki immediately went to start a fire, pulling up short when he noticed there was hardly any wood left.

“Shit,” he cursed. “I –“ He hustled around the room, throwing more cloths onto his body as he went. “Just stay here and try to keep warm. Start a fire if you can. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Kaneki. Wait – are you sure that’s a good idea?”

But he was already gone, slamming the door behind him, and Hide with the still healing leg would be no help to him. Hide cussed to himself and limped over to the fireplace. He tried to make do with what he had, but there was no way he could keep the fire going for too long.

Hide looked outside to see the beginnings of snow, coating the ground with white. It would have been beautiful if the wind wasn’t whipping it around. Hide had only seen a few blizzards in his life, but he could tell it would be bad.

He hoped to hell Kaneki would be back soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weh this is late. Life is busy right now, so the next chapter will be really late as well. Thanks for sticking with me, I'm gonna guess this story will have three more chapters after this one! Mostly because I want more fluff before ending it off. ehehe


	5. I Really Fucking Like You, Damn It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kousykes, this chapter is also for you.

Kaneki still was not back.

Hide was sitting by the dwindling fire, holding the last piece of wood in his hands. It was more like a twig, actually. He had taken to fiddling with it to calm his nerves.

He should have done more. Maybe if he was not so damn _useless_. He could have gathered some wood, albeit slowly, but it would have been _something._ But no. Instead, he spent the day mostly watching Kaneki. _Fuck._ He was a piece of _shit._

The twig snapped between Hide’s fingers and he sighed, tossing the pieces into the small flame. Right. Like Kaneki would have let him do that. Damn it, half the time he was still insistent on helping Hide around even if he did not need it.

The door slammed open and Hide jumped to his feet as Kaneki stepped inside, shaking the snow off his head. “This should be enough for the night,” Kaneki spoke, not quite able to keep his teeth from chattering. He dumped the load beside the fireplace. “I’ll get more in the morning.”

When he went to feed the fire, Hide caught his hand, pursing his lips when he felt how cold it was. “Hang on.”

Kaneki stared at him in question when Hide cupped his hands in his, brought them up to his mouth and blew warm air on them. Hide did not want to rub them, fearing frostbite.

“Hide,” Kaneki complained. “I’m fine. Right now we should really be –“

“Just another minute,” Hide said, making Kaneki huff.

The fire crackled, reminding Hide he needed to add more wood if they wanted to keep it going.

“Clothes off. Sit down.” Surprisingly, Kaneki did what Hide said without comment, dropping his wet clothing to the side and sat in his underwear in front of the fire, passively watching as Hide retrieved a thick blanket from their bed and wrapped Kaneki in it, leaving only his hands and his head sticking out.  

Hide tended to the fire, sporadically glancing back at Kaneki to make sure he was staying in place, with his hands hovering over the fire Hide was building and his knees drawn to his chest. His damp hair was beginning to dry, making it curl slightly on the ends. When Hide hobbled over to grab more firewood, Kaneki made an exasperated noise, but Hide just shook his head.

“I –“

“No.” Hide muttered.                                              

Kaneki tried again. “ _Really_. I’m fine. Hide, it’s not like this hasn’t happened before. I can handle myself.”

“Just shut up.”

“H –“

“Kaneki.” Hide momentarily turned away from the fire, kneeling before him. He took Kaneki’s hands back into his, pleased to know they were already warmer than minutes earlier. “A few weeks ago, I was just some random ass person that ended up on the edge of your forest bleeding to death. You didn’t know who I was, but you made the decision to save me. You brought me into your home, treated my wounds, fed me, and made sure I had a bed to sleep in and recover. You’ve done so much for me, so please, just let me take care of _you_ for once.”

Kaneki’s hands flexed in his hands, and Hide was worried he would withdraw them. But, Kaneki relaxed, nodding. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” Hide smiled. “Now scoot closer to the fire, I’m not just building it for show, you know.”

Kaneki grumbled, because obviously he _did_ know, and certainly did not need Hide to tell him that. He settled back and watched Hide as he worked, his pout ridiculously cute.

When Hide was finished and had a pot of water above the fire, he sat down beside Kaneki, shivering. Kaneki lifted the edge of the blanket and cocked an eyebrow. “You’re letting all the heat out.”

Hide scooted over and let Kaneki wrap them together in the blanket. The wind outside howled and the house creaked in protest. Another tremor ran down Hide’s back and Kaneki pulled him closer. Hide tried to not blush as he was pulled against Kaneki’s chest, which was very naked and muscular and _fuck_ he was red as a tomato.

“Does this embarrass you?” Kaneki’s voice was right beside his ear, close enough he could feel the heat of his breath and Hide damn near jumped. He felt Kaneki flex his arms for emphasis, which did not at all help Hide in his situation.

“What the hell kind of question is that!?” Hide protested. “Put some damn clothes on!”

“You were the one who told me to take them off.” Surprisingly, Kaneki was not smiling, but rather, he was completely serious. “…so?”

“Yes.” Hide muttered. “You are embarrassing.” He glared in Kaneki’s general direction, unable to meet his eyes. “So you _were_ flexing while you were training!” _Bastard._

Kaneki simply shrugged. “I was curious. You’re weird.”

“ _You’re_ the weird one.”

“Oh.”

“ _Don’t you dare ‘oh’ me!_ ” Hide exclaimed.

Kaneki was beginning to turn a little red himself and Hide grinned because it was _Kaneki’s_ turn to be embarrassed if he could have it his way. “I won’t lose!”

“What are you losin – _oof!”_ Hide tackling him to the floor and they hit with a low thud.

“Much better.” Hide wriggled so he was posed above Kaneki, his face only inches from his as he stared into his eyes. It only took a few seconds before Kaneki averted his gaze, his cheeks heating. Hide lowered his head so that his chin was resting against Kaneki’s chest. “Hey. Do you even know how cute you are?”

Kaneki made a negative noise and Hide laughed.

“Really, really cute.” Hide muttered, poking Kaneki’s cheek lightly. “Delightfully adorable. Also handsome. Very, very hot. Smoking. You’re on fire.”

“I’m not on fire, Hide.”

Hide rolled his eyes. “Well I didn’t mean literally. But you are very sexy.”

“Are you flirting with me?” Kaneki turned his head just enough to stare at Hide from the corner of his eye.

“Are you dense?”

Kaneki snorted and finally faced Hide, a frown on his face. He lifted his arm, brushing his fingers under Hide’s chin. Hide’s breath hitched as Kaneki slowly leaned up. Hide’s eyes darted everywhere; Kaneki’s closing eyes, his soft cheekbones, his chapped lips, and then Hide covered the rest of the distance.

It was hardly perfect. Their noses bumped and teeth clanked together, but Hide would not have had it any other way. Kaneki’s happy sigh made Hide elated and his fingers curled in Kaneki’s soft hair even as he ran out of breath.

“So maybe I am dense.” Kaneki sounded out of breath as well. “But that was pretty amazing.”

“Is that a line out of one of your books?” Hide teased, taping his nose.

Kaneki’s lips twitched. “Maybe.”

Hide stared at him for a long moment, flabbergasted, before he burst out laughing. “I can’t fucking believe you.”

“Cut that out.” Kaneki tucked his head in the crook of Hide’s neck and shoulder, pushing his cold nose against Hide’s bare skin.

Hide jumped and he felt Kaneki smile against his neck. “You’re something else, you know that right?”

“Why? Have you never met someone else like me?”

“Sometimes I don’t know whether or not you’re being sarcastic.” Hide traced the lines on Kaneki’s neck. “But no, I have never met anyone like you. _Aaaaand…_ ” Hide started again before Kaneki could. “That doesn’t mean just –“ Hide gestured around him. “The beasts, the fae, whatever powers you have and all this weird magic stuff. I mean you. Your strength, your adorable way of fumbling about and the way you just –“ Hide waved his hands about. There was just too much to say. “You’re you. And I really like you.”

“And you said I was embarrassing.” Kaneki mumbled.

“You are.” Hide grinned. “But I can beat you at it any day.”

Kaneki groaned and nuzzled closer to Hide.

“Come on.” Hide nudged Kaneki. “Want to test me on it?”

“Please. No. Knowing you, you have something up your sleeve.”

“Well, I guess I’m just going to have to say it – ah!” Hide giggled as Kaneki flipped him over.

Kaneki silenced Hide with his lips, and he really did not have a word of complaint. Between cuddles and kisses, there was laughter. After a while, Kaneki dropped his head to Hide’s chest and wiggled completely under the blanket. Hide kept a hand on his back, rubbing small circles as his breathing slowed. It was peaceful, and Hide found his own eyes sliding shut.

Until there was the loud sizzling of water falling on the fire.

Hide cursed, jostling Kaneki as he jumped up. He rushed over to the fire and took the boiling water from over the fire. He carefully poured them tea. Kaneki took his cup gratefully, his hair standing in every direction it could. Kaneki took his first sip and yawned.

“All right, come on you, we aren’t sleeping on the floor tonight.” He nudged Kaneki until he shuffled his way to bed, sitting on the edge until he was finished his drink.

Once laying down, Hide joined him, crossing the last few inches between them to hug Kaneki from behind. Kaneki pushed back against him, folding his hands over Hide’s.

“Sleep well, Kaneki.”

…

The morning was lazy, the fire embers still keeping the house reasonably warm, so there was no reason to get up quickly. Besides, it was really warm under the covers and Kaneki could not help but snuggle up closer to Hide, who was snoring rather loudly, limbs splayed about haphazardly. Kaneki gently moved an arm out of his way so he could rest against Hide’s chest, which was warm and slowly moving with his breaths. When he placed his head there, he could hear the steady beat of his heart. As Kaneki tightened his fists, wrapped around the fabric of Hide’s shirt, Hide grumbled in his sleep, muttering a few incoherent words.

Kaneki smiled sadly, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. He did not want Hide to leave him. His leg was almost healed, and Kaneki knew he would head back to the human world at any time. He did not want to give into his own feelings, because it would only hurt much later on.

He was really lonely. He always kind of knew, but never the extent. He could speak with the fae, play with the beasts, but they could never offer him the type of connection he wanted. Someone he could talk to, someone who would understand him. Someone he could love.

He never thought saving a lone human in the woods could turn out like it did. It was short, exhilarating and exciting, but also extremely painful. Painful because it could only come to an end.

Kaneki clutched at his own chest as it gave a twist. Despite the sadness it would bring him – could. _Could_. (Rize always said he was too negative.) He would not trade it for anything. He was happy for the time he spent with Hide.

So please.

“Please don’t leave me.” Kaneki whispered the words, inhaling deeply to calm his breathing.

As he pressed his face back against Hide’s chest, he roused, blinking his eyes open tiredly and shuffling about.

“Good morning.” Hide kissed Kaneki’s forehead. Or at least tried. If there was anything that suffered in the morning, it was Hide’s coordination. He stared at Kaneki for a long moment, brow furrowed, and then spoke, surprisingly clear for someone who just awoke. “Is there something wrong?”

Kaneki rubbed the tears from his face with the back of his hands quickly. “It’s nothing.” He tried to assure. “Just a bad dream.”

“Uh-huh.” Hide sounded skeptical. “You sure?”

Kaneki nodded hastily, which he realized was not very convincing, but he tried anyway.

“Okay then.” At least Hide did not push it any farther. “Do you want breakfast?”

“Yeah,” Kaneki managed. No matter how much it pained him, Kaneki did not want his worries to ruin what he had at the moment. So he got out of bed and curled up next to Hide, who was tending the fire with what little wood they had left.

He would savour every second.


	6. Mortality

Two weeks. Kaneki gave himself two weeks. Two weeks before Hide’s leg was healed. Two weeks before he would leave, and Kaneki would never see him again. Just two weeks.

Mostly filled with cuddles and Hide pinning him on one thing or another to kiss him until his head spun. Then pulling back to give him a sweet, little smile before saying something ridiculous and very Hide-like. No matter how embarrassed that made him, he could not help but admit it made him really happy too. To hear Hide say those things about him.

It was a good two weeks. Too good. Because Kaneki knew it would be that much harder to part.

And those two weeks passed and yet…

“Kaneki, how in the _fuck_ do you do this. _Save me_.” There Hide was, a vine wrapped around his ankle as he swung upside down like a pendulum, his shoulder almost clipping a nearby tree. He flailed his arm uselessly and Kaneki laughed.

“What made you think that was a good idea?” Kaneki cross his arms, watching as Hide’s swinging slowed.

“Well,” Hide put his hands on his hips. “You look pretty badass when you go flying tree to tree and I wanted to try.”

“And you completely failed.”

“ _Kaneki_.” Hide whined. “You’re so mean. Be nice. Oh – oh wait. Come here.”

“Yes?” Kaneki stepped closer to look slightly down at a grinning Hide.

“Lean down a bit – and move a bit closer… there we are!” Hide pressed his lips to Kaneki’s, which was odd given the angle, but not any less pleasant.

“Good?” Hide hummed against his lips, his unsteady voice making Kaneki’s heart skip a beat.

Kaneki huffed a laugh. “There was slightly less nose than usual.”

“Oh come on. That was one time.” Hide said indignantly.

“Most of the time I prefer my kisses without a tongue finding some way to my nostril.” Kaneki raised his eyebrows.

Hide sputtered. “I was tired. It was an accident.”

“Uh-huh. I’m sure.”

Hide just kept grinning, then quickly jerked forward, licking a strip up Kaneki’s cheek.

Kaneki stepped back, wiping away Hide’s spit with his sleeve. “Maybe I’ll just leave you up there.”

“No. Wait. Please.” Hide wrapped his arms around Kaneki’s torso, latching on with a death grip. “If you leave me here Jun’s gonna slobber all over my face.”

“Seems like fitting karma to me.” But Kaneki made no move to disentangle his arms.

Hide hugged him tighter. “Forget I said that.”

“You’re gonna have to make me.” Kaneki whispered.

Hide laughed and flailed some more. “Then let me down and allow me to do just that.”

“Fair enough.”

…

Hide was a great at cuddling. It was not like Kaneki had a comparison, but still. He held him just tight enough, the warmth of his body reassuring, just like the legs tangled with his, and the hand running gently through his hair. Then there were the lips frequently pressed to his throat, his forehead, his cheeks, his lips – and occasionally his nose, which always make Kaneki snort. Hide’s soft voice as he told Kaneki stories, some tales from books Hide could hardly remember, or were from his personal experience, like when he tried to jump a fence and his pants got stuck, causing him to run the rest of the way half-naked. Sometimes, Hide also used some of Kaneki’s books and tried to read him to sleep, but it was always Hide who fell asleep first when he tried that.

He was curled up at Kaneki’s side, snoring lightly as Kaneki ran his fingertips up and down his back. The book – on of Kaneki’s favourite – was still held in his hands, and Kaneki carefully extracted it, feeling as Hide then gripped onto the front of his shirt instead.

Kaneki slid further under the blankets, snuggling close. He was just closing his eyes when a jolt went through his body.

“That’s not right.” He jerked up, nearly knocking Hide to the floor in his haste.

Hide made a noise of complaint. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s too many.” Kaneki said, eyes wide.

Hide wrapped himself around Kaneki, lightly kissing his forehead. “Did you have a bad dream?” He breathed, trying to pull Kaneki back down.

“No. It’s –“ In a panic, Kaneki shook Hide off, nearly stumbling as he threw himself off the bed. “There are too many. I need to – just – stay here.”

“Kaneki –“

He did not hear anything else, grabbing his weapons and running out of the house so quickly he almost forgot to put shoes on.

Rina was already waiting for him. Jun was beside her, and he whined and bumped her with his shoulder. “It’s okay,” Kaneki assured them. Tried to assure himself. Even though his heart was racing. “Take me to them.”

There were at least half a dozen humans walking through his forest. They had torches. He could feel the heat of them hitting the branches of the trees. Logically, the torches did not worry him so much. The forest was too cold. The snow would melt and dampen the trees before they could light on fire, but instinctively, he was cringing, his heart fluttering painfully in his chest.

He rode Rina until he was a few hundred metres away from them, and could just barely see the light through the foliage. From there, he would walk. If he was right, the people were armed, and no one would be hurt if he could have it his way.

Their organization worried him. Someone at the point, leading, and someone at the rear, watching. Two lines of two, forming a square, all armed to the teeth. Over armed. The weight would slow their movements down. And was that…?

That was a first. No one ever returned before.

Standing at point was the armed man Kaneki took down when Hide first came to the forest. People did not come back when they made it out, so why was he there? Had the town finally had enough and decided to fight back?

Kaneki winced as he used a machete to cut some vines out of his way.

No matter what their purpose was, they were causing harm to the forest. If Kaneki did not get to them, the fae would, and that would end up far bloodier than it needed to be. A number of the fae could also be injured, and he could see a few of them darting cautiously among the trees, careful to stay out of sight.

So even they were worried then.

It would be best to separate everyone, or at least break them up in some way so he could take them out one by one. However, they were guarded from all directions, the front and sides watched, as well as the rear.

But that was a weak link. The person kept an eye behind them, but had to glance ahead to know where they were going. That was his chance to strike, yet that was only one.

Kaneki waited until they were passing through thick foliage to make his move. He snuck close and covered the person’s mouth so they could not shout and then jabbed them with one of his darts manually, careful to not prick himself.

One down, five to go. Easy, right?

Right.

Time to get more creative.

Next he had to get rid of the two rows, leaving the man at point. Easiest done by taking them out two at a time. If he tried to take out only one, there was a good chance the person next to them would notice. And if he tried to take down all of them at once… well that just would not turn out well for anyone.

Kaneki called upon the vines, to come down from the trees to take down the two people in the back row. He planned to have the vines gag them and pulled them up into the trees, where Kaneki could easily take care of them without the others noticing. Kaneki made his way up into the branches, silently moving from one to another to keep up with the group with his plan in mind.

Kaneki gritted his teeth as he commanded the vines to move. Such complex maneuvers with so many vines always strained him, but he never had to do anything to that extent before, as simple as it was. Combined with his anxiety over the situation, he was not surprised when he only managed to grab one of the people, the faster of the two, acting quickly, pulling out a machete and chopping at the vines.

The one with the machete, a woman, yelled to draw the attention of the others in the group while Kaneki pulled the person he caught the rest of the way up, quickly sticking them with a dart.

Kaneki bit his lip, staying quiet as the remaining four people formed a circle, watching the forest closely with their weapons out. He weaved his way through the trees, looking for any opening that could help him drop another person.

After some deliberation, Kaneki lifted his blowgun and fired a shot at one of the other people. Their stance was weak, hands trembling as they held their weapon. The dart hit the person’s shin, and they let out a cry, hands scrambling to take the dart out. But in no time, the person dropped to the ground, passed out.

That was half.

Kaneki focused on the roots beneath the earth, forcing them to move. They weren’t as flexible as the vines from the trees were, but as he moved them more, making the ground roll and shake, one of them lost their footing, falling to the ground.

Once again, Kaneki used a dart to knock them out.

All that was left were the returning man and the woman who evaded him earlier. Despite the moving ground, both of them kept their footing with minimal movements, and even without much experience fighting them, Kaneki could tell they were both skilled. Far more skilled than those he felled before them.

Sweat trickled down Kaneki’s cheek. He could not keep the forest’s movements up for too much longer. He was getting tired, and if he did too much, he could also damage the trees’ roots.

He fired another dart, but his aiming was off, and the dart landed feet away from where it was supposed to, making a dull _thunk_ as it hit the ground.

Then there was the knife thrown at him, which Kaneki was prepared for. He moved to dodge it, but the sudden motion caused his head to spin, and he stumbled, raising his arm to protect himself. He gasped as the knife suck into his left forearm, making pain shoot at the way up to his shoulder.

He fell from the tree, hitting the ground hard enough to make his vision momentarily darken as his head knocked against it. He attempted to sit up, clutching his left arm to his chest, but he immediately fell back down, black dots swimming in his vision.

The next thing he saw was two feet next to him, and glancing up, he could see a sword posed above him, plummeting down. Kaneki rolled desperately towards the woman trying to kill him and knocked her off her feet. With his good arm, he reached to pull out his last dart, successfully stabbing it into her leg.

Just… one more.

Kaneki breathed heavily as he looked around, the forest seeming to shift with his vision. It was all so murky and dark, he could no longer tell what was a shadow, what was a person. They all morphed into one. The colours all faded until he was left with nothing, just an endless black.


	7. Home

Kaneki felt drained. His whole body felt heavy, like he was sinking into the bed beneath him. He tried to move his limbs, sighing softly when his arms trembled, but slowly rose, his left one aching rather harshly. His hands felt detached, and he wiggled his fingers slightly, wincing at the responding tingling sensation.

Opening his eyes and squinting against the dim light filtering in through the covering over the window, he became aware that he was not alone.

“Rize.” He croaked, nearly cringing at the sound of his voice.

“Finally awake.” She chirped. “Maybe now that boy will finally shut up.”

Hide. Was he…? Kaneki pushed himself up using his right hand, but immediately fell back down, his head spinning. “Did you –“

“He’s fine. Gathering firewood. I _was_ enjoying the peace and quiet, but you just _had_ to wake up.” Rize flitted over, landing – a little harder than necessary – on his chest. “And I will have you know, because of your incompetence, _I_ had to take care of things.” She walked up his throat, her feet putting an uncomfortable pressure on Kaneki’s windpipe. “You owe me.”

“ _What did you –_ “

“Relax. I may be _old,_ but I’m not senile.” Rize rested her forearms on Kaneki’s chin. “I managed to… convince that man to take his men and get out.”

“How?”

Rize’s wings fluttered behind her, a twisted smirk overcoming her previously calm expression. “A poke here… a prod there… it doesn’t take much to know what makes someone tick.” She held up her palms when Kaneki glared. “I hardly got any blood on my hands.” She smugly raised her eyebrows. “Besides, it was easiest to convince that man to carry his friends out, considering that you’re, like I said, incompetent.”

They were okay then…

Kaneki breathed a sigh of relief.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just kill them?” The words tumbled from Kaneki’s lips, not free from a tone dripping with disgust.

“Perhaps.” Rize strode back down Kaneki’s chest. “But things are more interesting this way, aren’t they?”

“I really don’t understand you…”

“Oh, ‘Neki.” She cooed the nickname she gave him while he was still a child. “Hasn’t anyone told you the fae are fickle folk?”

“You have. Many times.” Oddly, Kaneki was smiling. “But above anything, I think you would value survival.” After all, she had lived for so long. Usually, Rize thought killing the people who entered, inflicting terror, was the best way to keep the forest safe.

Kaneki disagreed extremely. There was no reason to kill them.

Rize often told him he was biased.

“I do value survival.” Rize twirled her hair idly. “But the world is getting smaller, there are more humans, more people looking to take this forest from us. You know this forest is not nearly the size it used to be, right? Slowly, this little space of ours is disappearing.”

Was Kaneki imagining it, or did Rize sound sad?

“Perhaps it will disappear in your lifetime, or the protector that comes after you…”

 “The forest is dying.” Kaneki murmured.

“You can feel it, can’t you?” Rize stared at him sadly. “The immense power your predecessors wielded.” She reached out, as if to grasp something. “Yet there is only a fraction you can actually access. Because so much of that power has already disappeared, and trying to use what wasn’t there almost killed you. Worse yet, this power continues to dissipate” She clenched her hand into a fist. “Nothing is infinite. Nothing is immortal. Not I, nor this forest.”

Kaneki recalled the writings of his predecessors, the description of a river, of the edges of mountains that no longer were within the forest’s reach. Slowly, the forest was being reclaimed by humanity. There were also the tales some predecessors wrote of their powers that were so outlandish Kaneki dismissed them as creative ramblings.

Kaneki swallowed thickly, not used to see Rize acting so somber. “What of the protector that comes after me?”

Rize shrugged. “He will be less powerful than you, _if_ he makes it through the dangerous period between your death and his upbringing…” Rize mumbled on. “It would be a lot more useful if the tree spawned adults rather than children…”

Kaneki’s fists clenched.

“I like this forest. And I’d like to stay here as long as I can and extend this forest’s lifespan if possible.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Kaneki closed his eyes, feeling unbelievably tired.

Rize hummed. “Maybe it’s time to stop hiding. Let the humans come, let them know we are here, and hope they accept us.”

“Accept us? That’s not as easy as you make it sound.” Kaneki grumbled.

Surprisingly, he heard a tinkling laugh. “Do you really think so? That friend of yours is a prime example. Perhaps it won’t work, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“You’re just cutting our time here short.”

“One hundred years is next to nothing for me…” Rize stated. “I’d rather take the chance.”

Selfish. Kaneki hands trembled with rage, but he had nowhere to direct it.

He knew she was right, and he had to make the right decisions to keep the forest a safe place for the fae, the beasts… for future generations. He did not know what the right choice was, but the decision had already been made for him, and he had to face whatever was going to come his way.

He startled as something tapped against his nose. “Rest up, so you can fight for tomorrow.”

He thought of the beasts playing, the fae dancing, their beautiful colours aglow around the golden tree, and Hide, his kind smile seeming to light up Kaneki’s world more than anything else.

He could see them disappearing in the blink of an eye. Because of the humans, because of Kaneki’s weakness. He did not want to _risk_ losing anyone.

Perhaps he was the selfish one.

If he could join their two worlds, the natural and the supernatural, then even when the forest was gone, the protectors were gone, those creatures he loved could continue to survive peacefully. It was a task Kaneki did not know if he would be able to undertake.

But he had to.

Tears pricked Kaneki’s eyes, but he was too tired to wipe them away. He heard a soft sigh as Rize left, fluttering out the window. And the next thing Kaneki heard was footsteps as Hide entered the room, carrying enough firewood to block his vision as he unsteadily made his way to the fireplace.

When he turned, and saw Kaneki’s eyes open, a wide grin split across his face. Only for it to fall when he saw the tears dripping down Kaneki’s cheeks.

“Hey.” Hide rushed over, his eyes worried, eyebrows furrowed, and reached out to cup Kaneki’s face in his palms. “Are you okay? Does something hurt?”

Kaneki shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, as if that would stop the tears from slipping over. Arms trembling, he tried to draw Hide closer, but did not have the strength to do so. Thankfully, Hide understood and laid next to him, that concerned expression never leaving his face. Hide brushed Kaneki’s hair out of his face, pressing a kiss lightly to his forehead. Kaneki struggled to roll onto his side, so Hide helped him, and Kaneki pressed his face against Hide’s chest, breathing in his scent.

“Shh.” Hide whispered, rubbing circles on Kaneki’s back. “It’s going to be okay.”

Was it? Was it really? Kaneki could lose _everything_. And the first to leave would be Hide. He could not take the thought. His heart twisted painfully as he quietly sobbed against Hide’s neck. Kaneki did not want to be left alone. To lose those he loved.

Kaneki loved Hide, he loved him so _much_.

Kaneki babbled incoherently, his breath hitching, desperately trying to convey his feelings.

“I love you too.” Hide murmured, holding Kaneki just a bit tighter. “I love you too.”

Kaneki made a small noise of distress when Hide pulled back, but it died in his throat when Hide’s forehead pressed against his. He felt Hide’s eyes on him, and he blinked open his red and swollen ones to meet Hide’s warm gaze.

“I’m not leaving. I want to be here. With _you_.”

Kaneki released a shaky breath, one he did not know he was holding. “You do?”

“Yes.” Hide responded confidently, grinning so brightly Kaneki could not help but smile in return. “I do.”

Hide leaned forward, pressing his lips against Kaneki’s. Kaneki hummed, moving his lips and leaning into Hide, wanting nothing more than to be closer, to be enveloped in his arms, in his warmth. He adored the way Hide held him, as if he would never let him go…

…

Hide threw the heavy sack over his shoulder, wincing at the soreness of his muscles. He spared a passing glance toward the village, the setting sun casting long shadows.

It was mid-spring at the river’s water was not nearly as cold as it was in the winter. Hide passed through a shallow area, careful to not let the current sweep him off his feet, after all, he had important items in the sack he carried over his head.

Unlike the first time Hide stepped in the forest, there was a calming sensation, the knowledge that Kaneki would sense him the minute he did. And it was only a matter of time before he heard the pounding of paws against the ground.

Hide braced himself as Jun nearly collided into him, not even fully stopping before licking Hide’s whole face. In the past few months, Jun grew to be almost as big as his mother, though he was still as rowdy as a cub. He gave an appreciated huff as Hide slid his hands through the fur around his ears, scratching and ruffling roughly enough to move the beast’s head, just like Jun liked. Hide laughed as Jun bumped him in the chest and Hide made the promise to play with him later.

Hide struggled onto Jun’s back, sweating by the time he finally made it up.

Seconds later, the wind swept through Hide’s hair pleasantly and he inhaled the scent of blooming flowers which held a sweetness unlike any other in the human world.

When Jun stopped running, arms immediately wrapped around Hide’s waist and he was gathered into a warm embrace with many welcoming kisses brushing across every inch of his face.

“I missed you.” Kaneki said, nuzzling against Hide’s shoulder.

Hide laughed happily. “I was only gone for a few days.”

“I missed you.” Kaneki repeated, pulling Hide closer and tighter against him.

Hide hummed, enjoying the moment for a few minutes before shifting away and pecking Kaneki on the nose. “I would absolutely love to cuddle, but don’t you want to open the presents I brought?” He adjusted his hold on the sack, his arm burning.

“Here.” Kaneki took the bag, effortlessly throwing it over his shoulder. He took Hide’s hand, clearly eager as he led Hide back into their home.

Kaneki opened the sack and Hide bounced excitedly as Kaneki went through its contents. There were some tools and kitchenware. Next, Kaneki held up the clothing, nodding to himself as he felt the material. And lastly, there were the books. There were many history ones, since Hide knew Kaneki wanted to get his hands on them. Something about ‘humans repeating history’. Among the books, there was also some adventure, and some horror (which Hide knew to be Kaneki’s favorite).

Kaneki was smiling – _no, grinning_ – as he flipped through the books, reading bits and parts, but clearly deciding on one as he gave the rest of them places on his bookshelf. Hide helped put away the kitchenware and clothing, then he and Kaneki took the soft blankets back to bed together.

As their bodies met under the faint glow of the full moon from the window, Hide knew there was no other place he would rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the story!


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